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Doctor applied to them for that living: but they had no regard to his folicitation. Upon which he wrote to Dr. Swift, with whom he had a very slender acquaintance, to request his interest with the Government for that parish and fet forth, how much he had fuffered for them, and their caufe. Dr. Swift immediately carried this letter to Lord Bolingbroke, then fecretary of state, who railed much at Sacheverel, calling him a bufy, intermeddiing fellow, a prig. and an incendiary, who had fet the kingdom in a flame, which could not be extinguished, and therefore deferved cenfure inftead of a reward. To which Swift replied, "True, my Lord;-but let me tell you a fhort story. In a fea-fight in the reign of Charles II. there was a very bloody engagement between the English and the Dutch fleets; in the heat of which, a Scorch feaman was very feverely bit by a loufe in his neck, which he caught, and tooping down to crack it between his nails, many of the failors near him, had their heads taken off by a chain fhot from the enemy, which scattered their brains and blood about him. On this he had compaffion on the poor loufe, returned him to his place, and bid him live there at difcretion: for as he had faved his life, he was bound in gratitude to fave his. The recital of this put my Lord Bolingbroke into a fit of laughter; who, when it was over, faid, "The loufe fhall have the living for your ftory:" and foon after Sacheverel was prefented to it.'

This is generally the cafe with the tools of a party: they think themfelves lions: but their fecret employers, who give them all their confequence, regard them no better than lice!

The liberality of Dean Swift hath been a topic of just encomium with all his admirers: nor could his enemies deny him this praife. In his domestic affairs, he always acted with ftrict economy. He kept the most regular accounts: and he feems to have done this chiefly with a view to increase his power of being useful. Mr. Faulkner informs us, that his income was 90cl. per annum, which he endeavoured to divide into three parts, for the following purposes. Firft, to live upon one third of it. Secondly, to give another third in penfions and charities, according to the manner in which persons who received them had lived: and the other third he laid-by, to build a hofpital for the reception of ideots and lunatics.'

• What is remarkable in this generous man, is this, (fays Mr. F.) that when he lent money upon bond or mortgage, he would not take the legal intereft, but one per cent. below it.

'Fires have sometimes happened in Dublin, by which'people of all denominations have been offerers: upon which melancholy occafions, the Dean always exerted himself, not only in perfon, by going from houfe to house, to make collections for them; but wrote and recommended their melancholy cafes to the public. He would go to the afflicted fufferers, offer them his fervice, and would be the firft to fubfcribe in a most princely and generous manner to their relief; which worthy example of his, the benevolent citizens of Dublin would imitite.'

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His charity appears to have been a fettled principle of duty, more than an inftinctive effort of good nature: but as it was thus founded and fupported, it had extraordinary merit, and feldom failed to exert itself in a manner that contributed most to render it beneficial. He did not lavish his money on the idle and the worthlefs. He nicely difcriminated characters, and was feldom the dupe of impofition. Hence his generosity always turned to a useful account: while it relieved distress, it encouraged industry, and rewarded virtue.

We dwell with great pleasure on this truly excellent and diftinguishing part of the Dean's character: and for the fake of his charity, we can overlook his oddities, and almost forgive his faults. He was a very peculiar man in every refpect. Some have faid, "What a man he would have been, had he been without thofe whims and infirmities which fhaded both his genius and his character!" But perhaps the peculiarities complained of were infeparable from his genius. The vigor and fertility of the root could not fail now and then of throwing out fuperfluous fuckers. What produced thefe, produced allo the more beautiful branches, and gave the fruit all its richness.

It must be acknowledged, that the Dean's fancy hurried him into great abfurdities and inconfiftencies, for which, nothing but his extraordinary talents and noble virtues, discovered in other inftances, could have atoned. The rancour he discovered towards the Diffenters, we have already taken notice of. No fect could have merited it in the degree in which he always showed it to them for in fome inftances, it bordered on downright per. fecution. He doubtlefs had his reafons for expofing their principles to ridicule: and might perhaps have fufficient grounds for fome of his accufations against their principal leaders in Ireland: but nothing could juftify his virulence against the whole body. Indifcriminate reflections on a community at large, are generally the offspring of ignorance or malice. It is impoffible for us to put down his prejudices to the account of the former; and we fhould be forry to impute them to a worse principle.

In the biographical anecdotes, collected by the Editor of this Supplement, we are informed, fuch was the Dean's chagrin, on the choice which the corporation of Dublin had made of a Diffenter, for a phyfician to an hofpital in that city, that he immediately altered a will, in which he had nominated them trustees to a public charity of his own. This action strongly marked his temper; but he fhould have confidered, that the corporation had acted, not in a religious, but a civil capacity; and that it was at least poffible, that a man might be a very skilful phyfician, without being an orthodox churchman. The prejudices of party, carried into common life, are only fit for the vulgar.

When Swift's refentment was excited, it generally arose to indignation. Amidst the conftellation of virtues which shed a distinguishing luftre on his character, he wanted one that a minifter of chriftianity ought to be ambitious of numbering amongst the chief ornaments of his profeffion; and that was FORGIVENESS. This is a virtue that requires a great share of humility and Swift feemed to confider himself as having a prefcriptive right to haughtiness. His pride gave a dignity indeed to fome parts of his conduct; but it frequently tranfgreffed all the bounds of common civility, and chriftian condefcenfion. His pride was not gratified with lowering on those.he hated, with a fupercilious brow: it must trample them under his feet. He could not laugh away his resentment. "It stuck to his laft fand:" and gained ftrength by its duration.

Of Dr. Sharp, the Archbishop of York, who hindered his promotion in the church, by infinuating fomething to the prejudice of his religion, he never spoke but with a tone of indig nation, that marked a fettled rancour. Dr. Tenison, the Archbishop of Canterbury, he calls, for the fame good reason, the moft good-for-nothing prelate that ever lived.'-Mr. Nichols hath transcribed, from an authentic MS. in the poffeffion of Thomas Aftle, Efq; a fort of a counterpart to Macky's • Characters,' [annexed to the Memoirs of Secret Services,'] in which the Dean hath difcovered his keennefs of obfervation, and feverity of refentment, against fome of the moft diftinguished characters of the court of George I. In fome few inftances he agrees with Macky. But in a far greater number, he totally differs from him, and with a dash of his pen damns a character that Macky had exerted all his talents to emblazon and recommend. We fhall felect fome of the moft ftriking and characteristic.

Lord Wharton *. He is one of the completeft gentlemen in England: hath a very clear understanding and manly expreffion; with abundance of wit. MACKY. "The moft universal villain I ever faw." SWIFT. MS.

Earl of Galway. He is one of the finest gentlemen in the army, with a head fitted for the cabinet as well as the camp: is very modeft, vigilant, and fincere: a man of honour and honefty without pride or affectation." MACKY. "In all directly otherwife. A deceitful, hypocritical, factious knave: a damnable hypocrite: of no religion." SWIFT. MS.

Of John Duke of Argyle, Swift fays in his MS. "Am bitious, covetous, cunning Scot: has no principles but his own intereft and greatness: A true Scot in his whole deportment."

In one of his poems, he exprefsly fays he hated Wharton like a toad.'

Earl

Earl of Derby. He never will make any great figure in the house of peers, the fword being moft his profeffion. He is a fair complexioned man, well fhaped, taller than the ordinary fize, and a man of honour." MACKY. "As arrant a

fcoundrel as his brother." SWIFT. MS.

· Duke of Grafton. "A very pretty gentleman." MACKY. "Almost a flobberer: without one good quality." SWIFT. MS.

Secretary Johnfton. "He is very honeft, yet fomething too credulous and fufpicious. He would not tell a lie for the world." MACKY. "A treacherous knave. One of the greatest knaves even in Scotland." SWIFT. MS.

Here follow fome of Swift's characters in the groís. Lord Cholmondley. "Good for nothing, as far as ever I knew." Lord Guildford. "A mighty filly fellow." Duke of Marlborough. "Deteftably covetous." Earl of Sandwich. "As much a puppy as ever I faw: very ugly, and a fop." Speaker of the House of Commons. "A heavy man."

Swift's particular averfion to Lord Wharton is well accounted for, by a curious anecdote, communicated to Mr. Nichols by the late Dr. Salter.

Lord Somers recommended Dr. Swift, at his own earnest request, to Lord Wharton, when that Earl went as Lord Lieutenant to Ire: land, in 178; but without fuccefs: and the answer his Lordship is faid to have given, was never forgotten, or forgiven by Swift, but feems to have laid the foundation for that peculiar rancour, with which he always mentions Lord Wharton. I law and read (fays Dr. Salter) two letters of Jonathan Swift, then Prebendary of St. Patrick's, Dublin, to Lord somers: the first earnestly entreating his favour, pleading his poverty, and profeffing the mol unalterable attachment to his Lordship's perfon, friends, and caufe: the fecond, acknowledging Lord Somers's kindness, in having recommended him, and concluding with the like folemn profeffions; not more than a year before Swift deferted Lord Somers, and all his friends, writing avowedly on the contrary fide, and (as he boats himself) libelling all the junto round I faw alfo the very letters which Lord Somers wrote to the Earl of Wharton, in which Swift is very heartily and warmly recommended; and I well remember the fhort and very fmart answer that Lord Wharton is faid to have given, which, as i have observed, Swift never forgave or forgot. It was to this purpose, "Oh, my Lord! e muit not prefer, or countenance theie fellows; we have not character enough ourselves."

The natural acrimony of Swift's temper was increased by repeated difappointments. This gave a splenetic tincture to his writings; and amidft the duties of private and domeftic life, it too frequently appeared to fhade the luftre of his more eminent virtues. A pre-fentiment which he had long entertained of that wretchedness which would inevitably overtake him towards the clofe of life, by the failure of his intellects, clouded his mind with the moft melancholy ideas, and tinged every object

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around him. How far this gloomy fentiment prevailed, we learn from a very remarkable anecdote, preferved by Dr. Young, in his Conjectures on original Compofition.' Mr. Faulkner, in his letter to Lord Chesterfield, hath given one of a very similar nature; which we will tranfcribe. One time, in a journey from Drogheda to Navan, the Dean rode before the company, made a fudden stop, difmounted his horfe, fell on his knees, lifted up his hands, and prayed in the most devout manner. When his friends came up, he defired and insisted on their alighting, which they did, and afked him the meaning. Gentlemen, faid he, "pray join your hearts in fervent prayers with mine, that I may never be like this oak-tree, which is decayed and wither ed at the top, whilft all the other parts are found."

The concluding feene of his life was truly affecting, and af forded a ftriking leffon to check the pride of human genius. Mr. Faulkner's account of it is well worth notice;

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⚫ Swift never was very outrageous, but his memory failed him by degrees, for feveral years together, infomuch that he forgot all his friends and domestics He could not call any of them by their names; nor for cloths, food, or any neceflaries that he wanted, In short, his forgetfulness grew fo much upon him, he could not remember any one paffage of his life, nor read, nor even tell his letters for near two years before his death. He likewife lol the ufe of his fpeech, excepting now and then uttering fome incoherent, rambling words, being incapable of asking any queftious, or of res turning anfwers; no could he afk for one. neceffary of life. During this melancholy fituation great care was taken of his perfon and his food, as he was incapable of dreffing, undrelling, or helping him felf to cloaths or victuals; and fo totally was he deprived of all ras tional faculties, that he was treated like a new-born infant, being taken out of bed, undreffed, and put into bed like the youngelt child; and had the actions of one, being fond of gold and filver toys, which he would play with, or put into his mouth. When he was dead, Mr. Whiteway, an eminent furgeon, nearly related to him, opened the fkull, and found much water in the brain'

This Supplement is enriched with fome valuable anecdotes concerning feveral perfons of diftinguifhed name in the political and literary world. The Editor hath had access to fome MSS. in the poffeffion of Lord Corke, whofe father (generally known by the prior title of Earl of Orrery) was an intimate acquaintance of Dean Swift, and condefcended to be his biogra pher too, in a series of letters to his fon, the Hon. Mr. Hamilton Boyle. In the MSS. before mentioned, we have an account of the celebrated Dr. Delaney, who hath been accused of the most atrocious crimes relating to fome pecuniary matters that were brought before the Chancery of Ireland, and decided against him. But the English Houfe of Lords reverfed the decree, and, in the opinion of Lord Orrery, "did themfelves great honour, and the Doctor great juftice. He is certainly

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